


Mirror Image

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-09-29
Updated: 2000-09-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:06:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: What if Leo came face to face wtih the person he used to be, only this time that person is the woman he loves.





	1. Mirror Image

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Disclaimer: The West Wing and its Characters aren't mine. They belong to Aaron Sorkin ET Al. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This the next Leo/Jenny story it takes place a few weeks after the wedding. Thanks to AJ and Dani Beth for reading it. Also I have no idea where this story is going so it may be awhile before I post the next parts.

Spoilers: What if Leo came face to face with the person he used to be only this time that person is the woman he loved.

Rated: PG-13 (for now)

"Mirror Image" By: GEM

"Jenny…Jenny!" Leo called his wife's name as he came out of the bathroom. He walked over and sat on the side of the bed. He bent down and kissed her gently "Jenny."

Jenny rolled over and faced her husband. "What?" she asked still half asleep.

"It's time to get up love. You're gonna be late for work."

"Oh, no it's morning already?" She asked still fighting off sleep.

"Yeah, hard to believe huh?" Leo said as he bent down and kissed her again. "I have a meeting to go to. I'll see you tonight."

"Remember to call me if you're gonna be late." She said as she walked into the bathroom.

"Yeah, I will. I love you." Leo said as he walked out of the room.

"Love you too." Jenny yelled from the bathroom. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror. When she heard the front door close she opened the medicine cabinet, pulled out a bottle of pills, and filled a glass of water. She swallowed the pills and got ready for work. Her leg was better now. She was back to work, but only seeing a limited number of patients.

~*~*~*~

"Good Morning Leo." Margaret said as Leo walked through the outer office.

"Good Morning Margaret." He said cheerfully as he entered his office.

Leo seemed a lot happier to Margaret since he and Jenny had gotten back together but she could tell something was bothering him today. She followed him into the office schedule in hand. Leo was looking through some papers on his desk when she walked in.

"You have staff in fifteen minutes."

"Thank you. " He replied finally finding what he was looking for.

"Leo, are you okay?"

Leo looked up from the schedule that Margaret handed him. "I'm fine."

"Okay." She said as she walked back to her desk.

Leo sat down and began to read one of the many reports that were on his desk. The truth was he wasn't okay. He was scared to death. This morning when he woke Jenny up and looked into her eyes, he had seen something he hadn't seen in a longtime, and hoped he would never see again-distance. She was distant, out of touch, like he was six years ago. So many questions ran through his mind at this moment: Was he right? If he were right, why would she do this? Would he have the strength to help her? Could he face this from the other side- as the loved one not the addict?

Stop this you don't know for sure. He thought to himself.

~*~*~*~*~

"Good morning Melissa." Jenny said as she walked in the office door.

"Good morning Dr. McGarry. Melissa said as she handed Jenny the schedule for the day.

"Who's on call at the hospital today, Mel?"

"Jeff."

"Okay that's good. I'll be in my office let me know when my first appointment gets here." Jenny said as she walked back towards her office.

"Okay." Melissa replied as the phone rang. Jenny stopped to see if she was needed before heading back to her office. "Dr. McGarry's office. Melissa speaking. How may I help you? Yes she is. Yes, hold on please. Jenny your husband is on the phone."

Jenny looked back at the young woman behind the desk. "Tell him I'm not here yet."

"I just told him you were here. The young woman replied apologetically.

Jenny sighed and finally decided to take the call "I'll take it in my office."

She entered her office, closed the door, walked over behind the desk and picked up the phone. "Hello."

"Hi sweetheart."

"Hi, what do you need Leo?"

"I don't need anything. I was just calling to check on you."

"Well thanks honey but don't you have a country to run or something?" She said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, while she looked for a bottle of pill she had stashed in her desk.

"Whoa, Where did that come from?"

"What?" Jenny asked.

"Jenny are you okay? This just doesn't seem like you."

"I'm fine Leo." Jenny said into the phone while she opened a bottle of pills, poured a glass of water, and swallowed a hand full.

"How about lunch?" He asked.

"Leo, I have been out of work for five months. I have got patients to see, and things to do."

"Okay, then I'll see you at home."

"Okay."

"I love you Jenny."

"I love you too, Leo."

TBC

  

  


	2. Mirror Image 2

Note to the readers: This Fan Fic is a sequel to "Second Chances" the other two Jenny/Leo story about Leo's recovery are not part of the saga. :) Now on with part 2.

"Leo…Leo"

"What?"

"Have you heard anything I've said?" The President asked.

"Yes Sir."

"What did I just say?"

"To be honest sir, I really haven't been paying attention."

"I've noticed." Jed replied as he encouraged his friend to talk. Leo took note of the look and gave in.

"Jed."

Now the President knew that something was bothering Leo. He rarely called him by his first name and now he just had. "What's on your mind, Leo?"

Leo buried his head in his hands, took a deep breathe and then looked up at his friend with concern written on his face. "Jenny." He replied softly.

"Jenny?" Jed asked again looking at his friend. Jed was under the impression that everything was going well between them the second time around.

Leo continued with the same look on his face. "She's changed Jed. She isn't talking to me. We used to have such an open relationship, we would talk to each other about anything. Now frankly she is scaring me. She is distant. "

"Maybe she is just getting used to be back together?" Jed suggested trying to reassure his friend.

"No it's different. Remember when I was using, how introverted I was, how withdrawn? That is how she has been acting lately."

Jed looked at his friend in shock. Leo are you telling me that you think Jenny has a drug problem?"

"Honestly, I have been afraid to say it, but there is something going on with her." Leo got up out of the chair and began to pace around the room. "She has been on prescription pain killers, so it's possible. I just don't want to believe it." Leo stopped pacing and looked back at Jed, confusion and pain written all over his face. "What should I do? I don't want to drive her away not if she is going through what I think she is. She needs my help I won't let her do it alone. I want to be there. I need to help."

"Talk to her, Leo."

"She won't listen."

"Then you have to make her listen. Leo you have been through this before on this other side you know how she feels. You love her. I know you do. She may need help but she may not want it or she may want help and is just to embarrassed to ask."

Leo smiled at his friend and walked quickly to his door "Excuse me sir. I have someone I need to talk to." Jed nodded as Leo walked out of his office and out of the West Wing.

  


	3. Mirror Image 3

Leo was in Jenny's office, waiting for her to come in. She didn't know that he was there, and he didn't mind that. The element of surprise had worked for Jenny six years ago, maybe it would work for him today. Leo heard the click of a doorknob, as the door opened, and Jenny entered the room.

"What are you doing here?" Jenny asked darkly.

"We need to talk. Can we talk Jen?"

Jenny went behind her desk, and began to rearrange some papers and files. She didn't even look her husband in the eye "What do you want to talk about?"

"You." Leo said softly.

"Me? What about me?" Jenny asked looking at her husband.

"Well, for starters, Why weren't you happy to see me?"

"Leo I'm a doctor, a doctor who has been out of work for five months. I have a lot of work to do. So you will excuse me if I'm not happy to see you." She snapped sarcastically.

"Jenny what's happening to you? Six weeks ago you couldn't bear to be out of my arms, now you don't even want to be in the same room. You and I used to talk about everything, now we don't talk at all. So what has changed?"

"I don't know what you are talking about? Nothing has changed."

"Jenny, everything's changed. You don't let me in anymore. After the honeymoon, you shut me out, pushed me away. I'm truly in love with you so much so that it hurts me to see you like this. Please, talk to me. Let me help you. I want you to be happy and you aren't happy now. Let me in." Leo pleaded.

Jenny moved to her office door and began to open it when Leo stepped in front of her and pushed it closed. "Leo as much as I like your visits I have patients to see, so if you're done making whatever point it was that you were trying to make. I'll get back to my life and you can get back to yours."

Leo still stood in front of his wife blocking her exit from the office. "You are my life. You won't get rid of me that easy. Jenny, you and I know what's wrong all we have to do is think back to a June day six years ago and the long months before that day. I'm not here to lecture you. I'm here because I love you and I want you to know that you are not alone I will be here when you are ready."

"Ready…ready for what? Oh, by the way, what happened six years ago, you don't have to worry about that with me. It's not going to happen."

"Jenny." Leo said sternly loosing his temper. "Look at yourself! You are a mirror image of someone I used to know very well."

"Leo! This marriage can end right here and now if you want it to." Jenny screamed back at him while trying to get out of the door. She was unsuccessful.

"I'm not here to force you to do anything. I'm not here talking divorce nor do I want one. I here because my love and my heart is breaking seeing you like this."

"Thank you for your concern but it is not needed. Now I do believe that you have a meeting to go to or a war to watch over or something like that. If you will excuse me." With that Jenny stormed out of her office slamming the door in her husband's face.

Leo stood in her office in disbelief. He had no doubt in his mind that she had a problem, a big problem. He only prayed that she would come to the same conclusion before she hurt herself or someone else. One thing was for sure from his own personal experience she had to come to this conclusion by herself in order for it to work in her favor. No one person could force her to do anything about it, and he hoped she would do something soon.

  


	4. Mirror Image 4

Jenny stormed out of her office and down the hall to the drug lockup. She unlocked the cabinet, took out several pills and swallowed them with water before going to see her next patient. As she was walking to the exam room she replayed the conversation with her husband. How dare Leo say she has a drug problem? She doesn't have a problem. She is not him. She is taking medication because she is in pain not because she has a drug problem. She was still angry with him but she couldn't let it bother her anymore, she had work to do. She looked down at the chart and then entered the room to see her next patient.

"Hello Amanda."

"Hello Dr. McGarry."

"So I hear you took a spill off your bike."

"Yes."

"Well, your X-rays look fine. All we have to do is take care of the cut. " Jenny said taking a look at the gash on the young girl's head. "Are you allergic to novocaine?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Jenny walked over to the cabinet to get a suture tray and a local. She came back and injected the novocaine into the area surrounding the cut. Moments later the young girl passed out and stopped breathing. "Amanda!" Jenny shouted. "I need help in here!" Jenny shouted out the door and then turned back to the girl but she couldn't get her to respond to treatment.

Two nurses entered the room and began to assist Jenny. One helped do CPR the other started an IV. Seconds later Jenny's colleague entered the room to see her struggling to get the girl breathing again "What happened?" Allison asked urgently.

"I don't know." Jenny replied obviously distressed but doing her job.

Allison read the chart quickly and asked Jenny "What did you give her?"

"Novocaine."

"Jen, she's allergic to it!" Allison said as she pushed Jenny out of the way.

"She said…. Oh my God!"

"Jenny go take a break. We can take care of this now that we know what we are dealing with. I got this. Go!" Allison ordered her friend.

Jenny slowly backed out of the room in disbelief. When she got into the hallway she ran to her office, got her things and, ran out of the office. What had she done?

TBC


	5. Mirror Image 5

"No Sam that's on Tuesday… no Tuesday. Yes, I'm sure. Sam don't you have a speech to write because I tell you, I'm sitting here talking to you on the phone looking at like a million things that I should be doing. As much as I like talking to you I definitely have work to do. Yeah, I'll see ya later." Leo hung up the phone and picked up a file on his desk and began to work. "Margaret! Margaret!"

"She's not out there. " Leo turned around from his computer and shot out of his chair when he heard the familiar voice. Jenny was standing in the doorway. "Jenny, What are you doing here?"

"If you don't want me here I can leave." Jenny turned away from her husband and started to walk out the door.

Leo jumped from behind his desk and went after her. "Jenny…Jenny…Jennifer Kathryn! Wait!"

Jenny turned back to the only man she ever loved and started to walk back into the office. "I didn't say that I didn't want you here." He said as he walked towards her. "I'm just surprised to see you. " Leo noticed as he got closer to his wife that her eyes were red and puffy. He was sure that she was crying but he didn't know what about.

"Well, I'm sorry. " She began as her voice gave out and she began to cry once again. She fixed her gaze to the floor ashamed to look at Leo. "I didn't know where else to go." She said as the tears followed freely down her face.

Leo placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head up. Leo looked into her eyes "Jenny, what happened?"

"Ya know it's hard, my job. I do my best, but I'm human you know. " Jenny rambled on tears still in her eyes. Leo put an arm around her waist and led her to the couch. "Jenny, what happened?" Leo asked again trying to hide the concern in his voice.

"I almost killed someone today. That is why I left work." Jenny blurted out.

"Oh, Jenny." Leo could feel the blood draining from his face. He wanted this to be a dream but he knew it wasn't. Leo turned to face his wife; he took her hand in his with a compassionate look, he urged her to continue.

She looked at him for a moment in effect gaining strength from him to continue. "I gave a patient the wrong medication. She was allergic to it and it almost killed her. She even told me she was allegoric to it. How could I make that mistake Leo? What is wrong with me? I have never done that before. What is wrong with me?" Jenny whaled as she fell into Leo's chest and cried once again.

"Jen, I don't know what is wrong." Leo replied calmly. "Only you know, and I wish you would tell me. Talk to me, so I can help. I don't like seeing you this way." Leo sank down into the couch, and pulled Jenny down resting her head on his lap.

Jenny found comfort in this and looked once again into Leo's eyes. "I told you before, nothing is wrong."

"Then why are you here? Over the past couple of weeks you have been pushing me away now all of the sudden you're letting me it. Not that I don't like it, I do." Leo began to rub his wife's back, something that she always liked him to do. He pushed the hair out of her face and wiped the fresh tears away from her eyes. "So why are you here?"

Jenny snuggled into the safety of her husband's arms as he continued to rub her back; she was amazed he even remembered how much she liked it when he did that. "I'm here because I need you. I'm here because I feel safe when I'm with you. I'm here because I have a drug problem. I'm here because I love you and I need your help."

Leo shifted uncomfortably. Jenny sat up still leaving her head on his shoulder. "What did you say?" Leo asked.

"I love you." Jenny repeated, a tear wetting in her eye.

"No, before that."

"I have a drug problem." Jenny whispered the threatening tear now falling down her cheek.

Leo wiped the tear away with his thumb and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I know." He whispered. "And whether you know it or not, you just took the first step to recovery."

TBC…

  >


	6. Mirror Image 6

Jenny walked with Leo toward the elevator. When they arrived on the fourth floor the elevator doors opened and Jenny stood frozen staring out into the lobby.

Leo took note of her reaction and tightened his hold around her waist. "Come on Jenny."

Jenny was still frozen staring at her new surroundings.

"Jen? Jenny?" Leo tried disparately to gain her attention.

Jenny finally turned and looked at Leo then she looked down at the floor. "I can't do this "Leo. I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Jenny look at me." Jenny looked up at her husband. Leo took her face in his hands. You can do this, Jen you can." He caressed her cheek before putting an arm back around her waist and leading her out of the elevator, down to the office of Dr. Bryan Nelson.

"Are you ready?" Leo asked as he knocked on the office door.

"No, I don't think so. I would really like to go home."

"Jenny." Leo said in a gentle but warning tone.

"I can't do this Leo."

"Jenny…" Leo was interrupted by Bryan Nelson, a young blonde man standing in the doorway.

"Mr. McGarry, Mrs. McGarry please come in. Nelson said as he headed to his desk.

Jenny and Leo followed the young man into the office.

~*~*~*~

"Well, Dr McGarry I have looked over your file and I think we can help you but you have to trust us. You can't hold anything back. Now, from what I understand you began having a problem after an accident about six months ago. Is that right?"

"Yes." Jenny managed to get out weakly.

"And it's mostly pain killers?"

"Yes." Jenny replied tightly holding onto Leo's hand.

"Okay, we can help you but you have to be willing to help yourself. We can't do this alone. You're the only one that can beat this. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you have any questions for me?"

"No." Jenny replied.

"Okay." Bryan picked up the phone and called his assistant. "Jamie will you come in here please? Thank you."

"I'll have my assistant Jamie show you to your room so you can get settled in, and we'll talk later. " Nelson said as he hung up his phone. A young blonde woman entered the room. "Jamie, Would you please show Jenny to her room.

"Sure." She answered sweetly.

~*~*~*~

Jamie walked ahead of Jenny and Leo. When they reached her room, she showed Jenny where she could put her things, and then left her to settle in.

Jenny sat on the bed separating her from Leo for the first time since she arrived. "You have been awfully quiet since we got here." She said as she watched her husband stare out the window.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that… Do you need anything?" He asked

"I need you to stay here with me." Leo looked at Jenny. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. He went over and sat on the side of the bed and gathered her up into his arms. "Jenny you know I would, if I could, but I can't."

Jenny buried her head in his chest. "I'm all alone."

"Jenny you are never alone. I'm always with you. He said as he kissed her before getting up to reach for his wallet.

Jenny tightened up as he left her for that brief moment. She acted as though she was incomplete without his arms around her. He fished around in his wallet for a moment before pulling out a picture that he had of the two of them. He climbed back onto the bed, this time sitting behind her. She leaned back into his strong arms and relaxed instantly. "Do you remember this?" He asked as he showed her the picture.

"Yes I think so."

"You gave this to me right before you left me at Tucson so that I could have you close to my heart. Now, I am giving it to you so you know that you will never be alone. I'll be there." Jenny began to shake in her husband's arms. He held her tightly and kissed her before slipping the picture into her pocket. She lay in his arms until she fell asleep.

~*~*~*~*~

Leo watched her sleep for sometime wrestling with his emotions. Should he stay or go? He knew in his heart that she would not want to stay if he left when she was awake so it comes down to what is best for her? He had to leave her now. He knew that that was the best thing for her. He carefully unwrapped himself from her, and slipped off the bed, careful not to wake her. He pulled the covers onto her peacefully sleeping figure, and left a note on the night stand:

My Love, You are never alone I will always be with you. I love you now, always, and forever. Leo

Leo placed the note on the nightstand and walked quietly out the door. As he walked down the hall his emotions tore at him. The woman he loves more than life itself is back there in that room. He loves her and he always will but for him this is the hardest thing he has ever had to do. Deep down he knows that it is the right thing because he loves her but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

The End


End file.
